A cross-sectional study in critically ill patients affected by COVID-19 in an intensive care unit: would Acinetobacter baumannii resistant to carbapenems be the biggest villain?

Aim: to describe cases of infection of Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) in critically ill patients affected by COVID-19, admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), using dexamethasone. Methodology: cross-sectional study conducted on patients admitted to the intensive care unit COVID-19 survey among hospitalized patients from November 2020 to March 2021. Setting: large hospital, reference for caring for patients with COVID-19 in Bahia (Brazil). Patients: a convenience sample of 22 patients admitted to the COVID ICU signed the consent form agreeing to participate in the study. Three patients were excluded for having decided to participate without signing the form. Results: of the 22 patients listed, 45 % (10) had blood infection or mechanical ventilation-associated pneumonia by A. baumannii in blood cultures and/or tracheal aspirate secretion. We observed that there is a moderate correlation between the length of stay and infection by A. baumannii (Spearman’s ρ; 0.592; p-value<0.005) and a strong correlation between the number of days on mechanical ventilation and infection by these bacteria (Spearman’s ρ; 0.740; p-value<0.001). This percentage is higher than the value of 0.62 % of infection by A. baumannii in this ICU in the same period of the year before COVID-19 (p-value<0.0001). Conclusions: hospitals that receive patients with COVID-19 may be vulnerable to outbreaks of multi-drug resistant organisms, such as A. baumannii . It is worth reflecting on the care and operational practices in handling these patients, especially in isolation and restriction measures for those from other nosocomial areas.